Angel
V “Jack” (Reyes) Aragon was born in Havana, Cuba on November 20,
1915. The son of Angel Aragon, who played briefly for the Yankees
between 1914 and 1917, the 5-foot 10-inch catcher spent the 1937
season with the Greenwood Giants of the Cotton States League.

In
1938 Aragon was with the Blytheville Giants of the Northeast
Arkansas League, leading the league in RBIs. The following season
was divided between the Winston-Salem Twins of the Piedmont League,
the Knoxville Smokies of the Southern Association, and the Salisbury
Giants of the Carolina State League.

In
1940, Aragon was with the Fort Smith Giants in the Western
Association. In 1941 he was listed as the batting practice catcher
for the New York Giants, and made his major league debut as a pinch
runner on August 13, 1941. It was his only appearance of the season
and proved to be the only major league appearance of his career.

On
September 4, 1942, he joined the Coast Guard in New York City and
was based at the Ellis Island, New York, Receiving Station, where he
continued to play baseball. He was sent to Electrician’s Mates
School and on January 15, 1944 was discharged at Ellis Island as an
Electrician‘s Mate 3c. Aragon signed as a free agent with the
Minneapolis Millers of the American Association for 1944.

In
1945, Aragon was playing in the Boston Red Sox farm system with the
Louisville Colonels of the American Association. In August, he broke
his leg in a home plate collision against the Millers. The
Louisville fans made a collection for the popular catcher and
presented him with 50,000 pennies.

Aragon
remained with the Colonels for 1946 and 1947. Following the 1947
season he was sold by the Red Sox organization to the Giants and
became player-manager with Fort Smith in the Cotton States League in
1948. The following year he piloted Jacksonville in the South
Atlantic League. In 1950 he became manager of the Knoxville Smokies
in the Tri-State League, becoming general-manager in 1952. He became
general-manager of the Maryville-Alcoa Twins of the Mountain States
League in 1953. In April 1954, Aragon quit the Maryville-Alcoa team
after a financial disagreement.

He
continued to play and manage in the minor leagues through the 1952
season.

Jack
Aragon passed away on
April 4, 1988 at Clearwater, Florida. He was 72 years old.